Rentaro Kagura (Hero Retold)
Rentaro Kagura is the the main protagonist and titular character of Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi. A righteous person who believes in potential of humanity, he has since devoted his time silently protecting people in the shadows for two years, as Kamen Rider Shinobi. Character History Early Origins to 2024 Original Story See Rider Time: Kamen Rider Shinobi After the unfortunate incident with the 5th Annual Ninja Tournament and the Diet's provisions with the Ninja Act, Rentaro started to solely pursue the Niji no Hebi's nefarious antics and single-handedly pushed the clan back in the shadows. For two years, he foiled all of the group's actions and even learned about Iroha supposedly being the clan's "princess"; an idea that turned out to be a complete lie conjured up by the Yaminin, just so he could force Iroha into marriage. Rentaro's efforts in the dark, together with the Konjo Company's reorganization into a sustainable corporation, and the revisions of the Ninja Act, revitalized the environment and slowly transitioned Japan out of being a Ninja Society. 2025 - The Rise of the Nin-Ju Shortly after Rentaro finally dissolved the Ninji no Hebi clan, he found secret scrolls and discovered two mysterious events, the Blood Storm, and the Crimson Year. As he learned about 2025 being the Crimson Year, he quickly studied the special techniques that could defeat the upcoming threats; the monsters called the Nin-Ju. As the first Nin-Ju awakens, Rentaro charges on to the Konjo Group Offices to engage it, though the unexpected transformation of Isamichi Konjo to Kamen Rider Hattari threw him off, as he saw that Icchy doesn't know about the Sanzu Secret Arts technique to seal the beast. He started pushing Hattari back, seemingly giving the impression that Shinobi was aiding the Nin-Ju. Though he would still be able to seal the Nin-Ju, he saw that his status as a rogue ninja to the public made things more difficult, especially since he can't operate in the shadows with the feral Nin-Ju. Things even became more complicated when the Tokyo MPD-Nin issued orders against him, with Kamen Rider Kurenai in their ranks. As the Nin-Ju threat became more apparent with the Crimson Year in place, he finally goes to Isamichi's office to ask for his aid as reveals his secret to him. However, his pleas were met with resistance as he slowly found himself without allies in his battle with the Nin-Ju threat. After some encouragement from the unknowing Rekka, Rentaro eventually bounces back and accepted his role as an outlaw, readily engaging against fellow Riders who would go against his overall mission. He would also eventually form an uneasy alliance with Isamichi as he joins the Konjo Group part time, all under the guise of the two Riders using each other. The Konjo Group Event & Bakugo Shortly after joining the Konjo Group, Rentaro is immediately thrust into their large-scale event for their backers, working behind the scenes as a hands-on man on behalf of the company. While the large event goes as planned, a sudden Nin-Ju attack derails the program proper, forcing him to transform and confront the beast, only to be introduced to Johnny Yoo who transforms to Kamen Rider Bakugo and attacks him. While the Nin-Ju threat was resolved, Rentaro would later learn of the Niji no Hebi clan's revival and that they had kidnapped Akane. He also immediately learns that the event was a sting operation organized by Isamichi to lure the group in, but also endangered the lives of his fellow employees. He confronts Isamichi over this and punches him, before leaving to rescue Akane on his own. Niji no Hebi's Revival & The Yami Nin-Ju After begrudgingly getting the info from Isamichi, Rentaro tracks the Niji no Hebi group's hideout and plan for a rescue mission, before being joined by Rekka and Iroha. That afternoon, they storm the premises and split up while defeating Dustards, with Rentaro eventually reaching Akane's cell, but was forced to transform and confront her as a Yami Nin-Ju, before being interrupted by Kamen Rider Bakugo who viciously beats the beast. With Akane left in critical condition after being saved by the others, Shinobi finally lets out his frustrations and savagely overpowers Bakugo, leaving him worse for wear, before finally being confronted by Iroha. Though Shinobi escapes, many of the other Riders see this as confirmation that Shinobi is a big threat. Afterwards, Rentaro would spend his time in the hospital assisting Akane, though he would also be pulled towards other scenarios involving the Yami Nin-Ju and the Niji no Hebi, one even specifically dealing with parallel Rider worlds. Identity Revealed With the Niji no Hebi very much active behind the scenes, Rentaro started to act on the Nin-Ju threat and seek answers regarding the Crimson Year, the Niji no Hebi, and the Royal Family. He first asks for information from Ayame and Chief Takajo, before confronting the Yaminin over this, only for Kirito Arma to turn into a Nin-Ju and fight him off, dragging their battle to hospital. There, Johnny transforms and beats the Nin-Ju, only for his Hyoutan to shatter and transform him into a Yami Nin-Ju who devastates Shinobi, undoing Rentaro's own transformation in front of everyone to see. Redemption, Jonin-Bakugo After falling to the Clay Cho Nin-Ju, Rentaro was finally captured by the police, placing him in hospital arrest. Despite pleading his case, Rekka shoots all of his arguments down, making him realize that he was only doing his mission for his mission's sake and did not truly believe in protecting people. After slightly recovering and escaping arrest, Rentaro once again confronts the Cho Nin-Ju on his own and despite being bloodied, wins back Rekka's trust, allowing them to fight in tandem and defeat the powerful beast, saving Johnny in the process. Days later, he gets his Hyoutan stolen after being confronted and defeated by Hattari in battle. Still, he goes to see the recovering Johnny Yoo and pushes him to get back up and assisting him when he falls. Kirito once again arrives and confronts the Riders, transforming into a Yami Nin-Ju. Here, Rentaro shows that he regained the Hyoutan and finally transforms to Shinobi Jonin-Bakugo form, defeating the Yami Nin-Ju, much to the chagrin of Isamichi. Personality Rentaro is a brave and strong-willed individual who protects the weak from those who misuse their power. However, after the Ninja Act provisions began, he became more wary of his own ninja activity and shifted his actions to protect people within the shadows, akin to an actual shinobi. With two years of experience already under his belt, he became much more mature and less headstrong with his battles. These experiences, however, made him a bit of a cynic, as he also often saw the abuse of power coming from the people that he sought to protect and get frustrated when others fail to do the same things as he does. Rentaro once even held extreme prejudice and intolerance to those who abuse their power, specifically those who take ninjutsu for granted. He is also slow to forgive people, showing no sympathy towards Yabe when he turned into a Nin-Ju, as he felt that he only needed to save him for his mission, rather than show genuine concern. Over the course of the series, this lack of sympathy over others grew due to the numerous times his mission was opposed by his fellow Riders and other people, to the point that he only focused on the mission, and not genuinely cared for the people he was saving. Only after learning from Rekka and realizing that he's also been closed-hearted all that time that he started to genuinely think about others and trust them once again. Outside of his task as Shinobi, he also takes part-time work as a courier for Nin-Nin Delivery with his friend, Akane Egusa. However, his fascination to learn new things about the ninja culture, such as new techniques and lore has not waned a bit, to the point that he often favors ancient scrolls, texts, and even shinobi arts over money, something that Iroha (and to a lesser extent, Akane) chastise him about. After the delivery service got ransacked, he continued to do his delivery work under the Konjo Group until their service got back up running. Skills and Abilities * Ninjutsu: Rentaro has been a master of all forms of ninja arts and techniques, from disguise, misdirection, espionage, and the conventional fighting due to him being Kamen Rider Shinobi for a long time. He's also seen using his techniques outside of battle. Unlike before, Rentaro no longer needs to feign incompetence with his skill, due to Iroha's disinterest in ninjutsu. However, he often hides his complete mastery to other people, just so people won't get hints about his secret identity and also comply with the Revised Ninja Act. * Ninjutsu Copy: Rentaro's advanced skill in ninjutsu lets him copy other techniques from other Riders, surprising them. He can even revise such techniques to suit his fighting capabilities. * Strategic Fighter: As with the traits of a traditional ninja, Rentaro makes use of a strategic approach to combat his enemies. He tries to analyze his opponents and utilize any means to end battles as quickly as possible. * Sanzu Secret Arts Technique: An essential ninjutsu technique required for all Shinobi Riders. This Jutsu allows for complete control of spiritual waters, letting them extract the Sanzu waters from incapacitated Nin-Ju to transform them back to humans. Weaknesses * Inflexible Fighter: Due to leaning more on strategy and ending fights quickly, Rentaro is shown to get easily surprised when unexpected things happen in battle. This often leaves Shinobi unable to react properly, leaving him open for attacks. Forms |-|2= Rider Statistics *'Rider Height': 186.1 cm *'Rider Weight': 86.2 kg Ability Parameters *'Punching Power': 12.1 t *'Kicking Power': 26.4 t *'Maximum Jump Height': 70.0 m *'Maximum Running Speed': 100 m per 3.0 sec Rentaro's default Kamen Rider form, accessed through the Silver Hyoutan. He pours out the Sanzu Waters from the container, forming the Mirai Driver around his waist. When Rentaro places the Shuriken Starter on the driver and spins it, the belt summons the Kurogane Oogama to equip him his suit. The default Shinobi form has overall balanced capabilities, with emphasis on high jumping abilities and speed. In this form, Rentaro focuses on swift and precise strikes, opting to end a battle quickly, before sealing Nin-Ju's waters inside his Hyoutan. Originally, the Shinobi form was silver-colored, as it was used by Rentaro's predecessors. Rentaro simply used a color-swapping jutsu to turn its default form to violet, so that he could blend in with the shadows much easier. Shinobi's attacks include: *'Ninpo Kirisute': Summons a Ninjatō from the back of his belt. Shinobi can also summon two of them at once for added offense. *'Flame Ninpo': By initiating Flame Technique, he fires a large stream of flame from his hands. Shinobi can also coat his body in his flames to shield him from attacks. *'Strong Ninpo': A stronger variation of Flame Ninpo. He fires a stream of purple flame from his hand to disintegrate his enemies. Unlike Flame Ninpo, Shinobi can't use this for defense, as this can also burn him. *'Megaton Ninpo': Summons a giant tornado to lift his targets in mid-air. He can also use this to propel himself over. *'Summoning Ninpo': Summons Kurogane Oogama to aid him in battle. *'Finish Ninpo': Shinobi's finishing technique. He attacks his opponents in high-speed movements while shrouded in a purple aura. Variations include: **A combination of punches before doing a flying spinning kick. **A combination of slashes with his Ninjatō before doing a spinning final slash. **A combination with the Kurogane Oogama, the robot slaps his enemy, propelling it upwards. Shinobi then does a backflip, with the Oogama doing a backhand, giving himself momentum for a charged upwards Rider Kick. *'Seibai Ninpo': A combination technique using the Strong Ninpo and Megaton Ninpo that sends the opponent flying, before summoning multiple clones of himself to attack the opponent all at once, using two clones to launch them even higher, and finally finishing with a bicycle kick shrouded in aura, sending his enemy crashing down to earth. He also eventually copied other techniques from the Riders: *'Kachikochi Ninpo': Shinobi releases a gust of freezing wind, turning everything it touches to ice. *'Sharp Ninpo': Shinobi shapes and controls the earth around him, fashioning spikes that impales his opponent. *'Hard Ninpo': Shinobi hardens his body to be comparable to steel, making him impervious to attacks. He does a partial variation of this, only hardening his fists to make his punches much harder and stronger. Appearances: Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi Episode 1-. - Jonin Forms= The Jonin Forms are a series of Shinobi's Upgrade Forms accessed through the Sanzu Starter, imbued with the powers of the other Shinobi Riders. By stabbing a Cho Nin-Ju with the Starter, inserting it to their body, and sealing the Sanzu Waters within it, Shinobi can turn these to a smaller variant of the Riders' transformation keys and enhance his overall abilities. Jonin-Bakugo= Kamen Rider Shinobi Jonin-Bakugo Rider Statistics *'Rider Height': 190.0 cm *'Rider Weight': 110.1 kg Ability Parameters *'Punching Power': 40.1 t *'Kicking Power': 33.6 t *'Maximum Jump Height': 70.0 m *'Maximum Running Speed': 100 m per 3.0 sec The Jonin-Bakugo form is Shinobi's bomb-based Upgrade form, accessed by inserting the Bomb Disc-S to the Mirai Driver's D '9 Slot and spinning the Shuriken Starter once again. This summons a smaller Kurogane Yorojiro which disassembles and equips itself to Shinobi. The Jonin-Bakugo form gives Shinobi a massive boost in punching power, even exceeding Bakugo, and kicking strength. He also gains Bakugo's Band Knuckles for added offense. This form's unique attribute is its overwhelming defense, as despite the weight gained due to equipping an Armor, Shinobi's speed and jumping height isn't affected at all, allowing him to still fight as fast, while also allowing him to shrug off even a Yami Nin-Ju's attacks without visible damage. This form's finisher is the Solid Finish Ninpo, where he wraps his opponent with the Band Knuckles and pulls them back before hitting them with a charged punch, sending them back, then pulling them back again and hitting them with a charged roundhouse kick. Appearances: Hero Retold: Kamen Rider Shinobi Episode 16-. - }} Equipment * Silver Hyoutan - A small gourd-shaped bottle that houses Shinobi's equipment in the form of Sanzu Waters. ** Mirai Driver - Shinobi's main transformation device. ** Shuriken Starter - Shinobi's transformation key. ** Bomb Disc-S - A smaller variant of Kamen Rider Bakugo's Bomb Disc. Used to transform to Jonin-Bakugo form. * Shinobi Phone - Rentaro's personal smartphone. Its frog wallpaper can house Master Gamano's consciousness. * Mini Scope - Rentaro uses this to analyze the minutest details for espionage. This replaces his Frog binoculars that got destroyed two years ago. Weapons * Shuriken Variations ** Sticky Shuriken ** Homing Shuriken * Ninjatō - Shinobi can summon and wield two Ninjatō at once. * Kunai Variations * Sanzu Starter - A black variation of the Shuriken Starter, used to seal Cho Nin-Ju. * Band Knuckles - Shinobi's weapon in Jonin-Bakugo form. Mecha * Kurogane Oogama - A giant robotic toad that he can summon for battle. This also houses his Rider Suit for transformation. * Kurogane Yorojiro - A robotic armadillo that he can summon for battle. Used to transform to Jonin-Bakugo form. Fan Casting Like the original version seen in Kamen Rider Zi-O, Rentaro Kagura is portrayed by Hideya Tawada, who previously portrayed Kinji Takigawa/StarNinger in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger. As Kamen Rider Shinobi, his suit actor is Yuji Nakata. Appearances